It’s very shouty.
It’s very earnest.
It’s very musical theatre, and often hews a bit close to Eminem for comfort.
It is decidedly unfunky. In fact, the beats are largely a little too melodramatic and consciously “important” for my liking.
Ghostface has the best verse. In fact, it’s the best thing he’s done in years.
Kodak has the second best verse.
There are no hooks.
It’s still ridiculously compelling.
I don't listen to hip-hop post 2000, what about his rhymes??!!!!
I don't listen to hip-hop post 2000, what about his rhymes??!!!!
Honestly, they're not his sharpest. I'm still a little mixed on the record, leaning towards positive, but unfortunately it... isn't getting better with repeats 😕 Genuinely a little sad about it. Thought it'd be a great record.
I don't like coming here with records I didn't like, but 2022 hasn't been super kind to me recently—
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Cocodrillo Turbo by Action Bronson
I'm not sure what happened to Bronson. I think he's just doing his own think on his own time in his own world. He has bars, but they're wildly sparing. It's like gnawing a bone for any little bits of meat left. (Which, is something he would rap about). When he's on his game, he's still legit a great rapper, but you don't hear him at his potential for more than a few bars here-and-there. Guest verses are high profile, but... still only okay. I don't have too many pet peeves in hip-hop, but this one commits the rhyme-word-with-same-word-later crime too often.
Neat vibe though. Different.
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Deathfame by Quelle Chris
This ended up being a little too experimental for me. Chris is a talented guy, and you can tell he's just having fun/pushing boundaries/messing around in the studio because why not, but it's not always producing music I want to, well... listen to. I only have a few notes on my first listen of it, including 'weird baby-sounding beat' 'gurgle subwoof' and 'like hitting a car with a mallet'. There's at least three extremely good cuts in the mix though. Just not too big on it as a cohesive piece.
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El Renacimiento by Carla Morrison
Carla let me down on this one. It's just overdramatic overwrought overproduced vanilla pop. Like Adele.
And okay, you cannot all be the self-proclaimed 'best'. 🙄 Brilliant beats on all of these. MCs let them down. Particularly disappointed in Che Noir, whose previously record is still one of my favourites of the decade so far. None of these are 'bad', but they can def all be a bit better. AJ Suede's one to watch.
New Belle & Sebastian is trying way too hard. Why is it so loud. And the lyrics are bad. What is going on. Sounds like they beat themselves to a creative pulp before making it. Maybe only enjoyed one or two cuts on it.
THE GOOD—
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Kuni by LNDFK
Ridiculously chill jazz-hip-hop-ambient soup.
Diaspora Problems by Soul Glo
New Soul Glo was bombastic. Only got around to it this week. I'm not too into modern hardcore punk, but the musicianship here is awesome, and the songs are very well thought out. It's almost as if you dialled Death Grip's punk hip-hop sound way way way more to the punk side of things. Energy is insane. Still a bit too screamy for my taste, but still dug it.
Say Sue Me also has a good shoegaze-pop record out. I'd rec it.
The Good Ones also have a new record out, and I always recommend checking them out. _________________ Doubles & Conch
Cocodrillo Turbo by Action Bronson
I'm not sure what happened to Bronson. I think he's just doing his own think on his own time in his own world. He has bars, but they're wildly sparing. It's like gnawing a bone for any little bits of meat left. (Which, is something he would rap about). When he's on his game, he's still legit a great rapper, but you don't hear him at his potential for more than a few bars here-and-there.Guest verses are high profile, but... still only okay. I don't have too many pet peeves in hip-hop, but this one commits the rhyme-word-with-same-word-later crime too often.
Neat vibe though. Different.
Roc Marciano’s verse is insane. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
Niineta by Joe Rainey
This feels like the kind of album that BEA would dig. This is Joe Rainey's debut record, released on 37d03d. Rainey is a Pow Wow singer from Minnesota and one of the only Ojibwe tribal members to still speak - let alone perform - in this language. He mixes traditional pow wow music with experimental/electronic production which really makes this a unique spiritual and cultural experience. Produced by Andrew Broder and released by Justin Vernon, this one is not to be missed!
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This Is A Photograph by Kevin Morby
I've never been too big on Kevin Morby. He's the kind of musician who I always think I'll like a lot more than I actually do. But with This Is A Photograph, I think he's really made a masterpiece. It's a pseudo-concept album framed as songs that create kaleidoscopic images of his life and family history. The title track is a fucking banger and Stop Before I Cry is a total heartbreaker. Lots of love for this one.
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Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar
I think I'm in the minority here, but I think Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is fucking brilliant. And hold your fire - maybe his best work to-date. It's not clean and concise like his previous 3 records, but the chaos fits tightly into the messiness of truth and identity that Kendrick is trying to get at here. To me, this seems to be commenting on the divisions within American culture right now and through the lens of Kendrick's therapy, calls attention to the various morals and masks (pun clearly intended) that people hide behind that are stopping us from seeing the truth within each other. And excellent choice to use tap dancing as a framing device. I think this is my AOTY, something would have to be pretty epic to top this. And I foresee the zeitgeist around the album shifting as time goes on.
The new Craig Finn is the best thing he’s done since Boys and Girls in America, for anybody who cares. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
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